Till Daylight Breaks
by Bio-Major Agent85
Summary: Who ever said that living in the Arklay Mountains was dangerous?


**Resident Evil: **

Till Daylight Breaks 

July 5, 3:23pm, near the Arklay Mountains 

 " Don't worry we will be back in about two days.  It's just too bad that aunt Vern ended up in the hospital the way she did."  Her voice came out calm and sure, but sounded with hidden fear. Ashley looked into her mother's blissful eyes, reassuring her that everything would be ok.   

  " Just make sure you take care of Sam while we are gone, I don't want to come back and found the house smelling of urine."  Her father spoke cheerfully. 

  "Also, no parties, no beer, no boys, and no backseats" Ashley's father joked as he packed the last of his clothes.  

  " Ok, I guess we are leaving. We will call you to check up on you. Other than that, you are on your own. Bye, we love you." Her mother said over her shoulder as she went out the front door. Ashley stood watching, waving her good-byes to her parents as they pulled away from the driveway, leaving the house in her hands. 

 The TV came on with a crackle of electricity, enlightening the room. Ashley curled up on the couch, relaxing her body on the soft cushions. This had been the first real time she really time alone, and it felt great. A warm smile broke across her face, igniting her body with a new feeling. She rubbed her feet, feeling the soft cotton of her socks under her hand. Ashley softly laid her head down on one of the bushel couch pillows, hey eyes slowly closing.  The moment broke with the light tap of rain as it splashed itself against the house.  Ashley slowly drifted off into the hands of sleep. 

  The wind blow hard against the sides of the house, whistling it's eerie howls. The rain grew with the wind, hitting the house like a thousand sledgehammers. The storm outside got worst, to worst for Ashley's ears.  She awoken sleepily, her eyes burned with the rest she had just endured. Ashley raised her head to the crying winds of the storm. Sam noticed it too, his head rose along with Ashley's. She turned her attention to the still buzzing TV, listening to the mind numbing infomercial that blared out. The wind wailed again. Ashley got to her feet, sliding off the supple couch.  She rose up, letting the heavy sleep fall to the floor. The storm screamed again, but something else did as well. A new sound that had nothing to do with the storm broke over the crying winds. Ashley listened carefully, doubting that the storm just made that sound. It came again. Ashley couldn't put a finger on it, it sounded human, but not. The inhuman moan floated around the house once again, not going away.  Ashley warped her arms around herself as the air chilled in the house. The moan came again, the air got colder. She threw it from her mind, shaking it from her head, that whatever was out there was some type of monster. 

  Ashley left the living room, not thinking about what just happened and went to bed. She laid down, her hair crunching under the weight of her head as she rested it on the pillow.  She could still her the raging storm as it rained down on her window. The thunder still as loud as it was before. The rain still pelting down as hard as it could.  Amongst them she could hear the supple moans of the in human animal that still hung close by. The air grew cold again, running down her back like a pair of fingers. Ashley hated it, hated whatever it was that haunted and teased her with its ample cries.  Only if she knew what it was, she could rest easy. Though whatever it was she knew wasn't human in the less bit. An animal hungry, moaning for food, for something to feed it or to feed a pond. It scared her, made her feel unsafe in the house, like it was going to get inside. Ashley shook the thoughts from her head, not wanting to think that way. She let her mind go, seeping deep into blackness. Ashley closed her eyes, letting the hands of sleep carrier her away.  Slowly she drifted away from the reality that held her so tight. 

 Ashley pushed the screen down open, letting the cool mountain air brush against her. Sam followed behind, pushing his way past her legs.  Her shoes stepped deep into the wet mud, squashing under her foot. She carried the garbage bag high in her hand, making sure she didn't drag it across the ground.  Ashley scanned across the ground; her eyes caught something in the mud.  The garbage bag leapt from her grasp, breaking open on the ground. Ashley frightened eyes looked over the footprints left in the mud. Ashley knew they were human by their shape, but they were oddly placed in the mud, like the person didn't know how to walk straight. Her wide eyes went over them, following them as they lead right up to the living room window. The fear over whelmed Ashley, nearly knocking her to the ground with its might.  She didn't understand it, what was a person doing near her house. Her mind cluttered with the terrifying thoughts, she didn't want to believe that a human made that unearthly moan. 

  Ashley stood wishing it wasn't true; she didn't want to believe it. She turned away from the strange footprints and watched Sam as he stiffed the cold ground. His lip curled, showing his teeth to whom ever threaten him.  Sam turned around sharply, facing the dark, deep forest.  

 " What is it Sam? What's out there boy?" Ashley screamed over Sam's barking. He wouldn't listen to her cries, and continued to bark at nothing. Sam snarled one last time, before he disappeared into the woods. 

 "Sam, come back!" Ashley threw her hand after him, reaching for Sam to stay with her.  

" Hopefully he will come back." Ashley said as she stared into the woods blankly. The cold air came around her again, chilling her to the bone.  Ashley rubbed her arms, trying to rid the cold feeling that grasped on to her. She walked back into the house, fear high in her body. The air in the house was the same as it was outside, cold and empty. Ashley continued to rub her arms nervously, wanting for the sickening feeling to go away. She didn't know want to do her mind was so clouded.  For once in her life, she didn't know what to do. 

 Twilight had fallen over the small mountain area. Ashley laid on the couch, her nerves still as high as they were before. She sat watching the mind numbing TV as it blared out its noise.    

  " Some people claim they've seen monsters or ghouls in the Arklay Mountains. The monsters are supposedly about the same size as large dogs and usually run in a pack as wolves do. These may sound like a group of ordinary wild dogs, but reports say they are in ways different. We advise that all people stay out of Raccoon Forest to insure your own safety." The newscast spoke, his voice lofty with concern. Ashley stared blankly at the screen as it flicked in front of her. 

 " Monsters…?" the word dipped from her lips, the only word that could explain what was the cause of everything weird going on outside. Ashley's heart sank her body went cold. She shot out from the couch, going straight for the front door.  The deadbolt clicked into place, signaling back to Ashley that it was set.  She let out a sigh of relief. Ashley went back and sat on the couch, not knowing what else to do.

 The room glowed in a shade of vivid orange as the sun slowly made its way behind the horizon. Ashley sat not knowing what to do, there was nothing she could do, but wait in till the whole thing blew over. The night wind blew gently, grazing the trees as it carried though them. The wind came again, but this time with something adrift attached to it. Ashley opened her ears to the sound, something she knew well and was comfortable with. Ashley rose up, walking unsure to the backdoor. She opened the door gradually, wanting to see if it was what she thought it was. The woods broke with a blur of gray and red as it made it's way into the clearing. 

" Sam?" Ashley whispered under her ragged breathing. The blur of gray and red came into form, shaping out as once the dog Ashley's loved.  Sam paced in the clearing his lips crawled up.  Ashley looked over him, his coat covered in a thick layer of moist blood. His eye caught Ashley's; a low snarled escaped his awaiting lips. Soft tears formed at the edges of Ashley's eyes as she closed the door gently.  Ashley reached for the phone, her hand trembling as she grabbed a hold of it. Ashley forced herself to pushed the buttons. 

" Raccoon city police department, how can we help you?" The voice on the other end said. 

Though her tears, Ashley spoke, " There's a wild dog outside my house. It's crazed. I don't know what to do. Please help."  

  " Calm down, we will send a squad car over as fast as we can." The receptionist told her with her soothing voice. 

 " Thanks." Ashley hung up the phone.  Everything crumbled in front of her; her only reaction was to back up.  

 " How could all of this be happening and why is it happening now? Ashley warped her arms around herself. 

  " Why did all of this have to happen right now, right when I am alone? The question poured out.  The question was soon answered with the piercing siren and lights of the squad car.  Her fears disappeared, letting her once again smile.    The doorbell rang, followed by the stern voices of the police officers.  

  " Coming." Ashley mustered up enough strength to speak. She cracked the door open just enough so she could see their faces. 

" It was out back. Large and gray, covered in blood." The two looked at her as the tears begin again. 

" Ok, we will take care of this. No need to worry anymore." The man spoke with a calm easiness.  Something broke the silence, crunching as it made its way towards them. 

" Get back inside!" Ashley slammed the door shut, her fears coming back to her. Something rounded the side of the house, grabbing carelessly on the wooden posts as it pulled itself towards them. 

" What the hell is that?"  The words burned in the air of silence.

" This thing is not a dog. It looks human almost, but dead…." The two sat there in fright, in fright of what was coming towards them. From the creature's gruesome mouth came a dreadful moan, filling the mountain area with it's wailing cry. 

" Holy shit, what is this? Damn, this thing looks dead, but how the hell is it walking around?!" The creature kept its forward stride, stumbling as it tried to move it's stiff legs.  It's rigid arms grabbed on tight to one of the cop's shoulder, using its weight to push him sloppily to the ground.  It went right to work, tearing away clothes and flesh mercifully.  

   "John!" His partner screamed, knowing it was too late to save him from the hands of death. All he could do was watch as the unholy monster tore away at his friend's throat. Something wrapped around his shoulder, its dead fingers seeping deep in to his flesh.  It was only a matter of time before it's teeth followed, digging hard into the side his neck. He slumped over, the zombie following him down, still feasting on his dead body.   

 Ashley laid her back to the door, her body empty and cold, and her face warm with tears. The door shake as the creatures outside rained their blows down a pond it, trying to reach more hot flesh. Ashley looked around for somewhere to go, somewhere to hide. She bolted towards the stairs, the only place she thought she would be safe. Her feet stopped dead at the top of the stairs, her head franticly searching for something to escape with, to end this.  Ashley saw it, the only place she could feel safe at a time like this, her parents room. 

 The front door broke open; the hungry moans of the dead followed lightly behind it.  Ashley tore open her father's closet, spotting the shotgun that laid limp in the floor. She drew it quickly up, pumping it once to check if it was loaded, it wasn't. She sat down on her parent's bed, throwing out the draw to the nightstand. The red box smiled back at her bright, she tore open the top, reaching madly for a hand full of shells. Ashley turned, grabbing the phone, jerking it to her ear. 

" 911, what are you reporting?" The calm female voice said.

" Hello, 911? Hello? Help me."  Her words trembling with her own fear. 

" What is your emergency?" The operator said back to her.

"There's some one in my house. There's something in my house." The moans of the dead creature became louder as it came closer. 

" What's your address?"  Ashley's tear-fill sobbing nearly blocking out the operator's words.    

" 151 Chantella, Chantella" Ashley spoke as she turned towards the door, awaiting the monster to show itself.

" Ma'am, where are you in the house?" The operator asked, trying her best to hurry. 

"In my room. Their in my room." Ashley said her voice wobble as the creature stood in front of her. It's face pale white, glimmering in the little light in the room. Ashley slammed the two shells into the butt of the gun. The zombie reached for her, reached to have her. 

" Ma'am, calm down deputies are on their way." The words were lost in Ashley's screaming as she pulled back the trigger. 

" Ma'am, are you there? Ma'am?" the operator said, not hearing anything besides a soft crunching in the background. 


End file.
